Ray Lapuz

Cañada College

Contact Information

Raymond M. Lapuz

email: rlapuz2@my.smccd.edu
phone: 650-306-3290 [email is best]
website: http://accounts.smccd.edu/lapuz/ (will redirect back to this page)

For Current Classes, go to Courses

Current Schedule (Door Card)

Welcome Portion of the Syllabus

My name is Ray Lapuz and I will be the instructor for the courses listed below. I have a more detailed BIO, but in short, I immigrated from the Philippines when I was 10, I grew up in SF, went to UC Santa Cruz and worked as a math instructor for programs that supported first-gen students and underrepresented students in the sciences.

I have been teaching here in Cañada since 2000. I love teaching math!

If you are taking one of my math classes, I want to extend a grand welcome to you. I want to work with you, and together, we can create bridges over knowledge gaps and work together to reach the goals and outcomes set forth in your class.

Always feel free to reach out to me at rlapuz2@my.smccd.edu for any questions or concerns.

Cañada Land and Labor Acknowledgement

We acknowledge that Cañada College is situated on the traditional unceded land of the Ramaytush (Rah-my-toosh) Ohlone (Oh-LOW-nee) peoples, and we respect our past elders and honor the present community. Long before Cañada College existed, this area was home to the Ramaytush Ohlone peoples, who still have a presence in the Bay Area today.

We have a responsibility to acknowledge that we as a Cañada community have benefited from the use and occupation of this land and that the tragic legacy of colonization, genocide, capitalism, racism, and oppression still impacts people today.

We also recognize the labor upon which this educational institution, state, and country is built.

We acknowledge the peoples of African ancestry who were enslaved and forcibly brought to this land, and whose forced labor played a major role in the formation of this country. We are indebted to their uncompensated labor and their unwilling sacrifice over hundreds of years—which continues to impact generations today. We honor the legacy of the African diaspora and the continued contribution of their survivors.

We acknowledge the contributions of all immigrant labor, forced labor, and undocumented people who contributed, and continue to contribute, to the building and feeding of this land. We acknowledge their immeasurable sacrifices and work that allow us to gather in this space today.

Let us not forget. Let us honor and engage with the people who have stewarded and labored on this land for generations, and let us honor these truths—by taking responsibility as a college community to continually educate ourselves about these realities, to affirm our commitment to justice through continual action, and to protect and sustain this land.

https://canadacollege.edu/about/landacknowledgement.php

Resources

Being a small college, Cañada resources can feel like an extended family. Starting with me, I hope you would feel comfortable to reach out to me for any questions regarding the classes or school. [Reminder: my email is rlapuz2@my.smccd.edu.] If I cannot answer the question, I will try to find resources to help. Here is a short list of resources that Cañada has to offer:

Growth Mindset

Have you been asked: "Are you good at math?" What was your response?

I'd like to propose that YOU ARE GOOD AT MATH!

I like to think about math as similar to playing a sport or performing for an audience. In either scenario, you can attain different levels of "being good." Some people may have great soccer skills like Lionel Messi, or may have a naturally amazing voice like Beyonce, but they did not get to their level without practice. Any by the way, they've also had their share of mistakes along the way: Messi and Beyonce, they they moved on and kept on learning.

So feel free to make your mistakes in the class. Just keep on learning and moving forward. YOU can do it!

https://www.youcubed.org/resources/mindset-video/

Michael Jordan Videos:

Mathematics in the US and the World

Mathematics comes from many cultures. Some of the ancient cultures and their contributions include Chinese (numerals), Egyptians (geometry), Greeks (mathematical thinking and proofs), and Mayans (the number ZERO).

There are also quite a bit of contemporary mathematicians from all walks of life who had significant contributions. Some notable mathematicians even made it to our big screens:

Math is YOURS

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